This invention relates to a method for producing cheese, wherein cheese molds are filled with curd, are subsequently closed with a lid and are pressed, whereafter the obtained cheeses are removed from the cheese molds. This invention further relates to an apparatus for producing cheese.
A problem occurring in the production of some types of cheese is that in the traditional methods of xe2x80x98unpackingxe2x80x99 the pressed cheeses, i.e., removing them from the cheese molds, the cheese is often damaged. According to the traditional methods, the cheeses are, for instance, blown from the cheese molds using compressed air or pushed from the cheese molds using a loose bottom.
The problem outlined occurs in particular in the production of the types of cheese that crumble easily. Such cheese types are usually designated by the term xe2x80x98crumbly cheesexe2x80x99. This is a general designation for cheese types which, in particular when removing the cheeses from the cheese molds, are susceptible of mechanical damage. Examples include, inter alia, Lancashire cheese, Cheshire cheese, Caerphilly cheese.
Such cheese types are produced in round or rectangular cheese molds, often manufactured from stainless steel. According to the traditional method, a cloth is laid in the empty molds and then the mold is filled with curd. The cloth is folded around the cheese and then the molds are brought into gang presses and pressed. No lids are placed on the molds, for the bottom of one mold functions as lid for the mold behind it. After pressing, the cheeses are cooled in a cold store for at least 7 hours, so that the cheese acquires sufficient firmness. The cheese is then carefully taken out of the mold, the cloth is peeled off, and in the case of round cheese, very carefully, a supporting wrap is fitted manually. It has been endeavored to devise a method whereby pressing in the gang presses is avoided, partly because the presses must be loaded manually. Manually unpacking and manually fitting the supporting wrap also meet with objections because this procedure involves an actual risk of contamination of the cheese.
For that reason, an automatic pressing system, and cheese molds suitable therefor, has been chosen. The curd is then charged to round or rectangular molds without applying cloth. The molds have lids which bear directly on the curd and which can be put under mechanical pressure in the usual manner. In this procedure, however, both removing the lid and releasing the cooled cheese by blowing have proven not to be properly possible without damaging the cheese.
Accordingly, there is need for an improved unpacking method, in particular for cheese types which are susceptible to mechanical damage, whereby damage is prevented or at least the chance of damage is considerably reduced. To that end, according to the invention, a method of the above-described type is characterized in that prior to removing the cheeses from the cheese molds, the cheese molds still filled with cheese are heated.
An apparatus for producing cheese comprising at least one filling station for filling the cheese molds with curd and arranging a lid on the curd in the cheese molds; at least one pressing device for pressing the cheese in the cheese molds and at least one unpacking station for removing the cheese from the cheese molds, as well as conveying means for conveying the cheese molds through the apparatus, is characterized, according to the invention, by a heating device for heating the filled cheese molds after they have left the pressing device and before they reach the unpacking station.